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VOLLEYBALL: Sunrise Region wins 4A, 3A All-Star games

Bishop Gorman’s girls volleyball team may have given the Sunset Region some bragging rights last Saturday by winning the state title in Reno.

But the Sunrise Region got the last laugh of the season Friday evening.

Coronado’s Zoe Lier had five kills and two blocks to lead the Sunrise to a 25-15, 25-16 win over the Sunset in the Class 4A Senior All-Star Game at Boulder City High.

“I know the other side won state, but we won this one,” said Lier, smiling. “It was just kind of fun to (win) and play with these girls and meet new people. We had great chemistry and a ton of fun.”

Lier had four kills and two blocks in the first set to help the Sunrise get off to a strong start. Leading only 6-5, the Sunrise went on a 8-1 run to take control of the set. Rancho’s Karime Raygoza and Green Valley’s Rachel Klopfer each put down two kills as the Sunrise grabbed the opener, 25-15.

In the second set, the Sunrise used five team aces to pull away. Valley’s Jessica Perez and Las Vegas’ Adriana Rios each had two aces in the set. Rios served six straight points to give the Sunrise a 17-10 advantage, and a Sunset hitting error ended the match. Las Vegas High libero Anna Dobbins also served an ace in the set.

“It’s definitely an honor to be able to play with all of these great people and see all the talent that’s in Las Vegas,” Dobbins said. “The Sunrise was a competitive (region). It was hard playing against all those girls, but I have a lot of respect for all of them.”

Before the match, Dobbins was awarded a $350 scholarship from the Southern Nevada Volleyball Coaches Association for being “a team leader that exhibited loyalty, sportsmanship, integrity and a strong work ethic” this season.

Klopfer, Silverado’s Mariah Morris and Basic’s Azure Werner each had three kills for the Sunrise.

“You could just see the love of the game out there,” Sunrise co-coach Erin Hill said. “Everybody played, and they all were sincerely happy for each other. That’s what it is all about. It was really, really fun.”

Shadow Ridge’s Stacey Hone led the Sunset with five kills and two blocks.

Gorman’s Abbie Archambault finished with three kills and two aces, and Bonanza’s Taryn Warner added three kills for the Sunset, which also got two aces from Gorman’s Alysia Nielson.

CLASS 3A

Sunrise 2, Sunset 0 — The two volleyball teams representing the Southern Region in the state tournament this season came from the Sunrise League.

On Friday, it was clear why.

The Sunrise — mainly comprised of Boulder City and Moapa Valley players — defeated the Sunset, 25-13, 25-15 in the Senior All-Star Game at Boulder City High.

The Sunrise asserted its dominance in the first set and won on a service error.

The team took that momentum into the second set and grabbed six of the first seven points. Moapa Valley’s JaLea Blasingame had the match-winning kill in the set.

“It’s pretty cool that we got to play with our rivals,” said Blasingame, whose team lost the state final in five sets to Truckee. “I definitely didn’t want to end my senior season on a loss, so it’s cool to get a win here.”

Blasingame, who was one of three Moapa Valley players in the all-star game, said the best part of the match was getting to rotate all around the court.

“I never get to play back row or serve because I have a torn shoulder, so it was cool to get to serve for the first time this season,” she said. “I didn’t miss a serve, so that’s good. It was just fun to play and get to know more girls. It’s always fun to come out, throw stuff together and play.”

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